ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) relates to sudden and momentary electric current that flows between two objects at different electrical potentials and is caused by direct contact or is induced by an electrostatic field. ESD sometimes occurs as a result of a built up charge on a person or object. When the person or object comes in close proximity to a different electrical potential, a discharge occurs. The discharge produces a current pulse with a very fast rise time.
ESD at certain levels has the capability of damaging some electronic equipment. In particular, it is known that ESD may cause a temporary interruption or permanent damage to Point of Sale (POS) payment terminals used in payment transactions. Recently, the addition of more metal-based components or secure elements in or on payment devices (also referred to as reference cards or test cards) such as debit or credit cards, has increased the risk of an ESD event that may be sufficient enough to disturb the payment transaction.
There are test procedures and protocols in place to identify the ESD risk on payment cards such as debit or credit cards. However there is no standard test procedure for Point of Sale (POS) payment terminals to define their ESD resistance levels. Therefore, a need for a solution as guidelines and testing methods for testing the payment terminals has been raised. Embodiments of the invention address these and other problems, individually and collectively.